[0:00] I love you.
[0:30] The beauty of the Lord behold the unclive, and the dying, his holy grace, may reverently inquire.
[0:57] Therefore, in his rebellion shall be right in heaven.
[1:11] In secret of his death he hines, and on the rock he raves.
[1:29] Let's join together in prayer. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, as we seek to draw near to you at the throne of grace, we're thankful that you've made it possible for sinners such as we are to entertain the hope that we can approach you.
[1:53] Because we've come to understand that you're a God who is holy, a God who is high and lifted up, a God whose eye is too pure to behold iniquity.
[2:07] Yet, O Lord, you invite sinners such as we are to draw near to you, because you've made it possible for sinners to draw near to you, in and through your Son, Jesus Christ.
[2:19] And we're thankful that it's in his name that we come, that we're not seeking to trust in anything that we're going to do ourselves, that we're not trusting in our own righteousness, because we have seen a righteousness that is far superior to any righteousness that we might clothe ourselves with.
[2:42] And we're asking that you would look upon us in the righteousness of Jesus, so that we might indeed have access into your presence, and that we might indeed behold something of the glory and the majesty with which you are clothed, because we know that you're the God who sovereignly rules over all things.
[3:05] You're the one who brought all things into being, and you're the one who sustains everything that you have brought into being. You're the one who appoints the day of our birth, and you're the one who appoints the day of our death.
[3:22] And not one of us will be born before that appointment, and not one of us will live after the appointment of death. So we ask, O Lord, that as we approach a God who is meticulous in everything that you have purpose to achieve, that we might seek your own Holy Spirit to reconcile us to your own mind, and that we might be of one mind with yourself, that you would permit us, O Lord, to enter into the revelation that you give concerning yourself, and that you would help us, in the light of that revelation, to humble ourselves and to acknowledge that we are just mere creatures that are in the presence of a great creator.
[4:15] But for all your greatness, we're thankful that you have condescended to come down to where we fell when we sinned and we belled against you, that you did not leave us to ourselves and to the destruction that we brought upon ourselves, that you had purposed from before the foundations of the world that you would redeem a people for yourself, that you set up an everlasting covenant, and that you were willing to slay your son from before the foundations of the world, and that your son was willing to present himself as that sacrifice that would indeed redeem a people for yourself.
[5:05] And we're asking, O Lord, that if we haven't yet received the assurance that we are numbered amongst those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, that you would bring us to the point that we would receive that assurance for ourselves, that you would enable us to draw closer to you and enter more fully into the relationship that you want to establish between you and your people, and that we might walk in the light as you are in the light, and that you would help us to depart from the paths of darkness, which is part of our nature.
[5:49] Lord, you're the God who is able to do this for us. And we're asking, as we come before you this evening, that you would be pleased to bless all who have gathered here tonight, that you, O Lord, would meet with them at the point of their need, because you, the God who is all-seeing, not only are you all-powerful, but you're the one who looks into the innermost squeezes of our hearts, and you're well aware of all of our circumstances, and not only are you aware of them, but you're the God who is able to give us grace to help us at the point of all the needs that you see within us, because this is what Christ has purchased for his people.
[6:38] There is absolutely nothing that's going to arise in the experience of his people that he hasn't got grace sufficient to meet with these needs.
[6:48] So we ask, Lord, that you would comfort us with that knowledge, and not only that we might entertain that knowledge in our minds, but that we might come to experience it in our lives, and that you would help us, O Lord, to know that you are indeed the friend that sticks closer than any brother, the one who will never leave us nor forsake us.
[7:14] And although there are times in our experience where we fear that you have left us, we know that it's a lack of our own assurance and faith that causes that to be part of our experience.
[7:32] So we're asking that you would strengthen our faith, that you would help us to grow in the knowledge and in the grace of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, so that we would walk comfortably in the path that you have opened up unto yourself.
[7:50] Even although we might face great trials and tribulations, if we know that you are with us, then we will be able to confront these things.
[8:01] But when we're not aware of your presence, it's a fearful situation for us to think that we might be seeking to walk in your ways when we might not be one of your people.
[8:15] And it's a fearful thing for us to think that salvation is so close to us and that we may have forfeited it as a result of our lack of faith.
[8:27] So we ask, O Lord, that you would increase our faith, that you would give us, O Lord, the assurance that our souls desire, that we are indeed with fellowship with our God and that we're walking with our God and that we would continually seek your Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds, leading us into the truth, which is the path that you're going to lead your people into.
[8:56] We're asking that you would be pleased to bless your people here in Kalanish, that you would be pleased, O Lord, to make this weekend a time of encouragement for them, that they would be upheld and uplifted and encouraged in their faith.
[9:15] We pray for your servant over them. We pray that you would be with them as he ministers to them from week to week. We pray for his wife, Margaret, that you would also bless her as they minister together in this part of your vineyard.
[9:32] We would commit them to your care and their family. And we would ask, Lord, that you would be with the elders and deacons and the members of the congregation as they seek to witness in this part of the island.
[9:49] We ask, Lord, that you would make them bright lights and that you would make them effectual lights and that we would see people being drawn into your kingdom because you're the only one who is able to do that, regardless of what we might do and what we think might be good ideas for us to do.
[10:11] We know that they will come to nothing unless you're in it and unless we set you before us in all of our ways. So help us to recognize our need of you.
[10:22] Help us to realize that for the extension of your kingdom that we need to live in dependence upon you, that there's absolutely nothing that we can do to bring sinners to life.
[10:37] But you're the God who is able to bring those who are dead in trespasses and sins to spiritual life. You're able to make those who are paralyzed and unable to walk in the paths of righteousness, to walk in the paths of righteousness.
[10:56] And for those who are unable to do anything that will be to your glory, you're able to give them the hands that will enable them to do all things to your glory.
[11:09] Lord, you're the God who is able to restore our souls and all the faculties of our souls. And we pray, O Lord, that you would bring on that work which is your work and that you would help us to look to the work that you've given us to do so that we might walk in obedience with your spirit.
[11:32] Lord, we commit ourselves to you at this time asking that you would be pleased to meet with us, that you would have mercy upon us for our sins and shortcomings.
[11:43] For we ask it in Jesus' precious name. Amen. We're going to read in the first epistle of John, chapter 1.
[11:57] 1 John, chapter 1. And we can read into chapter 2.
[12:09] So we can begin at the beginning of 1 John's letter. 1 John, chapter 2. 1 John, chapter 2. 1 John, chapter 2. 1 John, chapter 2.
[12:20] 1 John, chapter 2. 2 John, chapter 3. 2 John, chapter 2. 3 John, chapter 2. 3 John, chapter 2. 4.
[12:31] 4. 5. 5. 5. the Father, and was manifested unto us. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things light we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in whom is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive our sins, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
[13:57] And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whosoever keepeth his word in him, verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith, he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is through in him and in you, because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith, he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness, even until now. He that loveth his brother, abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness has blinded his eyes. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you, for his name's sake. And so on may God bless to us. That reading from his own holy word.
[15:35] We are now going to sing in Psalm 119, at verse 129. Psalm 119. Verse 129.
[16:02] Thy statutes, Lord, are wonderful. My soul them keeps with care. The entrance of thy words give light makes wise who simple are. My mouth I have wide opened and panted earnestly, while after thy commandments I longed exceedingly. We are going to sing the whole of this portion to the end of verse 136. From verse 129. Thy statutes, Lord, are wonderful. My soul them keep with care. Thy statutes, Lord, are wonderful. Thy soul them keeps with care. The entrance of thy words the entrance of thy words. My heart I have wide opened and panted earnestly, while thou after thy life. O my hands I longed exceeding me. Look on me, Lord, am I merciful. Good love unto me, Lord.
[18:00] God O my crowns, sono f Solo to lighten beauty, Lord. castайт Então, le comme a做ereeille di тобой. O my gladstãos are wonderful. Our Active Son labeda, H thepipe Lord the screen home will save mc Galatot 656. The future of the kingdom above the kingdom of St. S는'tathывает and woman who chamele many love when my purse sets in thy word arise and honor thee let no iniquity I'll take dominion over me.
[18:54] From man's oppression save Thou me, So keep Thy laws, Thy will, Thy face may come, Thy servants shy, Keep me Thy status still.
[19:29] Revers of waters from Thy night, Till random when I saw How wicked men run on its ship And do not give Thy law.
[20:03] We'll turn back to 1 John chapter 1. And we want to look particularly at the words that we have in verses 5 through to 7.
[20:20] This then is the message which we have heard of Him and declared to you, That God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie, And do not practice the truth.
[20:38] But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, We have fellowship one with another, And the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.
[20:52] In this letter, John brings before us Evidences that we're to look out for in order to know whether we're the children of God Or whether we've been deceived.
[21:07] Because the problem that John is contending with when he wrote this letter Is that there were false teachers in their midst and deceiving people.
[21:20] And convincing them of things that weren't according to the truth And making them think that they were Christians when they weren't Christians at all.
[21:33] And it could even confuse the Christians themselves. So John set out to clarify the darkness that may have crept into their midst.
[21:48] And he's wanting to ensure that the Christians who were genuinely converted Knew where they stood And that they were truly the children of God.
[22:05] Now John was an apostle. He had been with Christ as a disciple When Christ was in the world. And he begins the letter by telling us That they looked on Christ, They handled Christ, They heard Christ, And they knew what Christ had revealed to them.
[22:25] It is this truth that John wants to reveal to his hearers. And that's what all of the apostles set out to do.
[22:40] They set out to reveal the truth which God had revealed to them. And that's what we have recorded for us in the New Testament.
[22:51] It's the word of God as it was revealed to the apostles. The foundation on which God was going to build his church. And John wants us to have this knowledge, As he says, That we might have enjoyment with God, And that we might have fellowship with the Father, And with the Son, Jesus Christ.
[23:18] And here in verse 5, He moves on to spell out the message That he wants his hearers to understand. And he begins by looking at the being of God.
[23:34] This then is the message that we have heard of him, And declare unto you, That God is light, And in him is no darkness at all.
[23:46] So this is one of the attributes that he wants them to be aware of concerning God. That God is light, And in him there is no darkness at all.
[23:59] Now the contrast he's making is between light and darkness. And he's making it clear that God is so bright, That in him no darkness can be present.
[24:20] In other words, What he's saying is that God is so pure, There are no impurities whatsoever present with him.
[24:30] He is perfect. He is altogether good. Everything about God is good. And all the decisions that God makes Are all just decisions.
[24:44] Now this isn't something that John thought up as a good idea. It wasn't something that he was guessing at. It wasn't something that was the result of his diligent research.
[25:01] John didn't arrive at this conclusion by any efforts that he himself had made, Or what he would like to think God was.
[25:11] On the contrary, He says, This is the message that we heard from him. And that's the message that we declare to you.
[25:23] So this is a trustworthy saying. This isn't a figment of John's imagination. This isn't what people would like John to say that God is like in order to satisfy them.
[25:38] Because very often we hear people saying that concerning God. Well, I would like to think that God is like this. Or that God is like that.
[25:51] But that's not the language that John is using here. John is making it clear. What I'm revealing to you is what was revealed to us, the apostles.
[26:03] So this is something you can put your trust in. This isn't just a good idea. This isn't what we would like God to be like.
[26:16] This isn't as a result of my research that I've come to these conclusions. This is as a result of what God himself has revealed to us.
[26:29] God is like. And that's the same as saying God is truth. There's virtually no difference in these two things. God is the revelation of everything that is true.
[26:44] And until we understand something in the light of God's truth, then it's going to be mixed with darkness. So it's the truth that we need to continually come to.
[27:00] So that we will get rid of the impurities and the darkness and the imaginations that we might entertain in our own mind.
[27:11] God is the source of everything that is true. It is the light of God's truth that reveals to us the dangers that are lurking all around us and within us.
[27:27] In the darkness that's in the world and in the darkness that abides within our own hearts. The darkness that is seeking to destroy us.
[27:39] But God hasn't left us groping in the darkness, wondering what he's like. Wondering whether we're saved or not. No, he's made it clear what he's like and he's made it clear how we are to be saved.
[27:56] And he's made it clear as to how we might know if we are saved. There are no small prints, hidden agendas in God's word.
[28:10] It is pure light. And we can trust that if that's what God has revealed, then that that is the truth and that that is the foundation on which we can build.
[28:26] So that we might be ready for the eternity that we're going to enter into if we're going to spend it with God. Because unless this work begins in us and unless we know in whom we have believed, then we will end up trusting in a false Christ.
[28:50] And that's part of the problem that John was dealing with. Antichrists. People that were presenting false Christ. False teaching. And that's what we want to avoid in order that we might have assurance of our salvation and know for certain that we are worshipping the living and the true God rather than any of the false gods that are being worshipped.
[29:17] And not just in the false religions in the world, but the false gods that are being worshipped in the visible church of God in this world. Because not everybody that belongs to the Christian church is worshipping the true God.
[29:35] Because they're not worshipping Him according to the truth. And if they're not worshipping Him according to the truth, then they are not seeing Him as He is.
[29:46] They are not seeing the pure light that He is revealing Himself to be. And we're worshipping a false god. Now when God reveals Himself to us, He exposes the darkness that's in us.
[30:03] He's so bright that He expels that darkness. And He's so holy that nothing unholy can stand beside Him.
[30:16] When Isaiah caught a glimpse of the holiness of His glory, he cried out, That's what Peter said to Christ.
[30:37] Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. When we catch a glimpse of the glory of God, as He's revealed that to us in Jesus Christ, the effect that that has on us is that it reveals the darkness of our own hearts.
[30:55] It reveals to us the sinfulness of our nature. Now fellowship with God is dependent upon reception of His truth and seeking to give obedience to His truth.
[31:12] The message that is delivered to us here is that God is light. Now to have fellowship with anyone, we must have something in common with that person.
[31:29] Because that's what it is to have fellowship. You're sharing in things that you have in common. Now light suggests to us illumination, clarity, knowledge, intelligence, truth, purity, happiness, holiness, integrity, truthfulness, and everything that is good.
[31:53] The light's nature, even by nature, is to shine everywhere. When the sun shines, it doesn't shine in a part here and not there.
[32:10] When the sun shines, it shines on everything. And the only thing that's hidden from the light of the sun are things that have been shut out against the light of the sun.
[32:23] And that's how our hearts are by nature. They are shut out against the light of the glory of God. But when the light of the glory of God shines into our hearts, it dispels the darkness.
[32:39] It reveals the darkness and makes known to us the darkness must go. Because just as it's true of nature, there won't be life unless there is light.
[32:54] It's true spiritually. Unless there is light shining into our hearts, there be no life in these hearts. So we need to get rid of anything that is shutting out the light that God shines so that it might produce life in our souls.
[33:17] And when we become aware of the sinfulness of our nature, then he has made it clear to us in his truth that that's the reason that Jesus came.
[33:29] So that we might confess our sins and eradicate that darkness. So that we might dispel it out of our lives so that we might begin to become like what God is, holy.
[33:45] That we might become light as God is light. Because the more we have in common with God, the more we will enjoy the fellowship that God wants to have with his people.
[33:59] And this is the message that John is bringing to us here. that the light of God dispels and must illuminate the darkness.
[34:13] The second thing that we want to consider is walking in darkness. The heretics of John's day were making the same kind of claims as the heretics in our own day.
[34:27] What is it that they were claiming? Well, they were claiming you can be a Christian but you can still enjoy sin.
[34:38] You can continue living your life the way that you were. You don't have to give up these things because your salvation doesn't depend on any of these things. If your salvation truly belongs in your trust in Christ then you can continue living as you are because it's not going to alter your salvation.
[35:01] Well, to have fellowship with someone we must have things in common as we have already mentioned. The false and the deceived Christians believe that it doesn't really matter how we live.
[35:20] But John is giving us a different message and he's telling us it matters very much how we live because God is light you need to walk in that light.
[35:34] You cannot continue walking in darkness because if you continue walking in darkness then you can't have fellowship with him.
[35:45] If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness we lie and we're not practicing the truth. A person who claims to have fellowship with God and continues to walk in the darkness in other words continues to live the way that he's always lived walking in the darkness he's not practicing the truth and he's not practicing the truth because he's not really in fellowship with God because if he was he wouldn't be walking in the darkness he would be walking in the light he would be walking according to the truth Paul makes it clear in the letter to the Romans chapter 6 that we're either servants to righteousness or we're servants to sin there's no middle ground we can't straddle the fence with either one thing or the other seeking to walk in the truth in the paths of righteousness or continuing to live the way that we've always lived and he's made it evident in his letter to the Corinthians that people who continue to live as they've always lived will not inherit the kingdom of heaven this is what he says to the
[37:16] Corinthians do you not know that unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God do not be deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor homosexuals nor sodomites nor thieves nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God now that's not a popular message in the day that we're living in because we get told that God is so loving and God is so gracious that surely he's not going to hold it against anyone for the way that they've chosen to live their lives well that's not the truth that God has revealed concerning himself the truth that God has revealed concerning himself that if we're to have fellowship with him then our lives must change and he's made it possible for our lives to change that's why he sent his son into this world to save us not just from the consequences of sin but to save us from the power of sin so that sin will no longer have dominion over us we're not going to be servants of sin any longer we're going to be the servants of righteousness and for those who continue to walk in the ways that they've always walked they're walking in darkness
[38:51] John says they have no fellowship with God and they're lying they're deceiving themselves and the fruit of their lives are making it evident now prior to regeneration we all walked in the paths of darkness but darkness is the domain of Satan and Christ didn't come into this world to leave us in the kingdom of Satan he came into this world to translate us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light we're not going to remain as we are if we have truly received the Holy Spirit into our hearts and if we've truly put our trust in the Lord Jesus
[39:51] Christ because our citizenship is now in heaven we've emigrated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God we now belong to the kingdom of light Paul gives us a description in Ephesians chapter 2 of the way that we used to live our lives he says we were under the dominion of the world the flesh and the devil but it didn't continue like that once we received Christ we were raised up with Christ to sit in heavenly places we are no longer walking in the darkness of this world we've been elevated we've experienced the power of the resurrection he has brought us into the kingdom of God he has brought us into the kingdom of light we're seeing more of the glory of God now than we could ever imagine to have seen why because we know belong to his kingdom now although as Paul says we don't yet see things as clearly as we would like to see them yet we've seen things a lot more clearer now than we ever saw them prior to our coming to put our confidence in Christ because we've been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light so we no longer walk in the darkness we're walking in the light and that's the third point that we want to consider but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of
[41:47] Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin what does he mean walking in the light having fellowship in the light well what he means is we now have a relationship with God a relationship which we didn't have prior to us being saved we now have communion isn't that the purpose that we have these meetings that we're celebrating this weekend rejoicing in the fact that we now have fellowship with God we have communion with God as a result of the death that Jesus died in order to make that possible so that we might walk in the light as he is in the light now notice that John says that we are to walk in the light he doesn't say we're to sit in the light he doesn't say that we're to stand in the light he says that we are to walk now walking is much harder than talking we can talk about walking but for all the talking that we make it's not going to move us forward one inch unless we walk it's quite possible for a person to sit under the word of God to understand the word and still not make any progress in his spiritual life why because he's not seeking to apply the light to his own lifestyle and he's not moving forward because a person who is walking is moving forward he's making progress and the
[43:54] Christian must make progress we must go forward in the light of the truth that we have received we must give obedience to the light that God has imparted to us we must walk in the light as he is in the light and that's what John wants his hearers to make he wants them to make spiritual progress in their lives because if they've been truly justified there will be this desire to be sanctified there will be a yearning after holiness there will be a yearning to progress there will be a yearning to grow more in the knowledge of God there will be a yearning to experience more of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ so that we might move forward in our walk with God so that we might be in fellowship with God that we might walk in God's ways in the paths of righteousness now fellowship with God indicates a close personal relationship and that's a relationship that is being established more and more every day of our lives we might not be aware of it but for every moment that we spend in the act of worship we are growing more in the knowledge of God and we are growing closer to
[45:38] God if we walk in the light as God is in the light John says there will be two results flowing from that the first is we will have fellowship with one another when we walk with God then we will desire to walk with his people just as when we love God we will discover that we have a love for his people this is one of the evidences that John will go on to bring before his hear later on in the letter this is how we know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren and if we are walking with God then we will want to walk with his people if we have fellowship with God in other words we will want to have fellowship with his people because
[46:43] Christians aren't to live in isolation from one another that's what sin brought into our experience sin separates it divides it breaks down relationships but when God comes into our lives it reconciles it reconciles us to him and it reconciles us to one another it heals what was broken and it establishes relationships if we're walking in the light we will love each other and we will seek to protect each other and when we hear Christians being spoken unkindly of we ought to feel hurt in our hearts that a fellow Christian is being spoken of in the way that that person may be spoken of we ought to feel their pain just as when one member of our body suffers the whole body suffers and that's how it is in the spiritual fellowship of God's people we ought to feel one another's pain we ought to carry one another's burdens because that's part of what it is to be in fellowship with one another now the other way that we often speak about fellowship is gathering with God's people now some people meet up for a cup of tea or coffee or have a meal together and they think that's
[48:32] Christian fellowship but that's not Christian fellowship Christian fellowship is when we meet together to share in the things of God because that's what we all have in common if we are God's people imagine if you met up with a group of friends and you shunned one of the people that were present that wouldn't be very kind to that person you're not including that person in your fellowship now if you're gathering for Christian fellowship and you're not speaking about God you're shunning him you're leaving him out of the fellowship the whole purpose of Christian fellowship is to share in the things of God and to allow God to speak to us and to hear what
[49:36] God is saying to us as we discuss the things of God together and that's what Christian fellowship is and if we have fellowship with God we will desire to have fellowship with his people which will continue the cycle of bringing us back into fellowship with God it draws us closer to God and to one another as we meet together to either worship him or to meditate upon the things that he's revealed concerning himself Christian fellowship must have God at the center though some Christians cut themselves off from the fellowship of God's people not realizing that when they cut themselves off from the fellowship of God's people they're actually shutting themselves up from fellowship with God
[50:38] I'm sure you've all heard of the illustration of the coal and the fire when you have coals in a fire they're giving off a warm glow because they're all tightly huddled up together but if a coal fell out of the fire it would soon smolder and go out and that's how it is for the Christian who avoids meeting with God's people he smolders and he loses the spiritual life that he ought to have in fellowship with God and with God's people forsake not the assembling of yourselves together because if you're not in attendance upon the means of grace whether it's in public worship or gathering to have Christian fellowship with yourselves then you're excluding
[51:41] God from your lives and you're just getting on with your lives the way you want to get on with your life you're not concerned whether it's God glorifying or whether it's a witness in the community that you live in that people see the love that you have for one another because of the love that you have for God don't exclude God from your fellowship by excluding yourself from the fellowship of God's people the second thing that John says here that will result from walking in the light is that the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin now this isn't talking about the initial forgiveness of sins which we receive at justification it's talking about the ongoing forgiveness of sin which is part of sanctification to be continually cleansed by the blood of
[52:49] Jesus Christ is something which every Christian is in need of is there a Christian in here or anywhere that would make the claim I'm as holy as I want to be the biggest moan that most Christians have is their lack of holiness they're aware of their own shortcomings and that's not how they want to be they want to become like Christ and to become like Christ we need to eradicate the sins that are in our hearts and we need to confess them daily as God's light shines into our hearts to reveal the things that are lurking in the darkness of the depraved hearts that we possess we are to confess our sins and when we're aware of them we can be assured as
[53:55] John will go on to say that we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous we're living continually in dependence upon the advocacy of the Lord Jesus Christ whoever lives to make intercession for us not just that we would be justified but that we would be sanctified this is his continual prayer sanctify them by your truth because your word is truth and that's the prayer that's going on for us this evening that we would be sanctified by the truth that we're hearing and that the truth that we're hearing would be applied willingly to our hearts and that it wouldn't just be a topic for discussion which I hope it might be but that it might be a topic that we would endeavour to apply to our lives because as
[54:58] I said it's easy enough to talk but it's not so easy to walk and if we're going to make progress we need to take steps because we will not move forward unless we walk and we need to walk we need to walk in the light as he is in the light and in order to do that we need to continually have our hearts cleansed from the remains sin that lurks in the darkness of these hearts we seek to give obedience and we seek to walk in the light that he reveals to us and the light when it shines will reveal to us our frailty it will reveal to us the lack of power that we have within ourselves to do anything for ourselves and it will help us to realise just how dependent we ought to be on the
[56:06] Lord Jesus Christ that will enable us to make progress as he continues to cleanse us from our sins because the Holy Spirit leads us into the truth and as he leads us into the truth and as these sins are revealed to us you can be assured that Satan will seek to discourage us the very thing that the Holy Spirit is revealing Satan will use or seek to use as a means to discourage his people the great reformer Martin Luther had a dream that he was standing before God and as the books were opened the accuser of the brethren stood there pointing to his sin one after another and Luther was despairing then he remembered this verse and turning to Satan in his dream he said the blood of Jesus
[57:14] Christ cleanses us from all sin so don't be discouraged when you become aware of your sin I know it can cast us down at times and the reason that it casts us down is because we're looking at it too much rather than looking to the one who's able to cleanse us from all sin don't spend all of your time looking in spend most of your time looking out looking to what Christ has done and this is what we're celebrating this weekend we're remembering what Christ has done we're remembering what his death has achieved and this is exactly what his death has achieved the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin we need to be reminded of that daily because as the Holy
[58:18] Spirit convicts us of our sins Satan will seek to use it to discourage us unless we continually remind ourselves that we're not trusting in ourselves for salvation and that our sins cannot keep us out of heaven if we're putting our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ because the blood of Jesus Christ has the efficacy to cleanse us from all of our sins so let's go forward in obedience to the light that God shines into our hearts not what we have imagined God is like but what the apostles have revealed to us is the truth concerning God and it's the true God that we want to worship and it's the truth that's going to set us free so let's focus on the truth rather than what we ourselves might imagine may God grant that he would bless to us these thoughts let's pray our father in heaven we give you thanks for the possibility that we can have fellowship with you as a result of what Jesus has done on our behalf and we ask oh lord that as your light shines into our hearts that it would also give us the desire to seek the grace of the lord Jesus
[59:57] Christ so that we might do what's impossible for us to do and that is that we might walk in the paths of righteousness because that's the path that he has opened for us to walk in so that he might bring us closer to yourself lord lead us in the paths of righteousness even for your own name's sake so that your name may be glorified that our worship may be effectual and as a result that we would be the recipients of your blessings because we need your blessing and we're asking oh lord that you would be pleased to do so for we're asking it in Jesus name amen we're going to conclude by singing in psalm number 56 at verse 9 psalm number 56 my foes shall when I cry turn back
[61:08] I know God is for me in God his word I'll praise his word in God shall praise me in God I trust I will not fear what man can do to me thy vows upon me are O God I render praise to thee to the end of the psalm from verse 9 my foes shall when I cry turn back I know God is for me my foes shall when I cry my cry turn back I don't know this for me in God his word and praise his word in God shall praise say be say be then what
[62:09] I trust I will not fear what man can do to me thy voice upon me thy O God I render praise to thee would thou not good from death me save my feet from false degree to walk before God in the light God knows that living be just a reminder of the services tomorrow morning prayer meeting at 11 o'clock
[63:14] English service at 12 noon and that will be taken God willing by Mr. Thompson the evening prayer meeting at 6 p.m.
[63:26] this will be bilingual the church session is already constituted and it's pleased to meet with any who belong to the congregation who are deciding to make public profession of their faith in Christ for the first time wit全部 h to he round promises